Teaching is my passion. Whether I teach a new language to young learners, theatre and acting processes to college level students and professionals, or how to play a video game to a friend, the process of teaching and learning is what I love. Because I believe that teaching and learning occur both on theoretical as well as practical levels, the process of teaching anything must take into consideration both practical use and fundamental processes.
I was fortunate to have many teachers that suited my particular learning style. I never understood the importance of theory as a background to material. I thought that so long as I had the practical usefulness of a topic, I would be just fine. The teachers from which I learned the most understood that this was where I stood, and sought to establish a theoretical foundation by tricking me into practicalizing the ideas. As I grew older and wiser, I took this notion and was able to sum up my teaching philosophy in any subject into one word: Praxis.
By actively achieving theoretical concepts, praxis is achieved. How can this be done in an EFL classroom? Grammar must be made practical and escape the surly bonds of theory. By teaching grammar as a means of communication, rather than a foundational subtopic of language as a whole, praxis can be achieved with students of any level.
I teach grammar with the intent of communication with a focus on clarity of thought. Because my theatre background gives me a focus on clear, conscise storytelling, I am a capable editor of thought and intent, and am able through exercises and classroom communication to concisely broadcast this naturally human necessity to be heard and understood. One of the most frustrating things in life is to be misunderstood. My students understand that a foundational training in grammar (or acting, or video game concepts) is fundamental in their ability to share thoughts and ideas in a way that audiences understand.
My classrooms are safe places in which a student needs not fear making mistakes. As a lifelong learner, I understand that fear is a difficult emotion to overcome. By allowing students freedom of thought, they are able to overcome this. My interest in socio-cultural arts and processes keep me constantly interested in what my students do in and out of the classroom. Because I accept that I am not the center of the classroom and singular source of knowledge, but a participant in the discovery of meaning, I can enter into a authentic dialogue with my students in which grammar helps us to share ideas, rather than place rules into an empty vessel. If students would like to talk about their favorite cartoons, I am more than happy to connect with that and oblige. Perhaps the international rugby championships are happening, and that is the topic of conversation around town. Students learning another language should not be restricted to “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,” but should learn that English is a means of personal communication in a newly worldwide point of view. It is important for students to understand that English allows them to share their culture, not supress it. This allows me a greater understanding of the culture in which I teach, and allows students a lighter, more personal use of their target language.
The methodology by which I teach is founded on the previous concepts. While talking about cartoons is all well and good, how do I actually impart the necessary rules? The socio-cultural ideas discovered conversationally with students allow me to create individual learning goals for my classes. I love using technology in classrooms, so I may use the student interests I’ve uncovered in a powerpoint presentation. Translated videos are powerful tools, because students can view a story they already know with English dialogue. Internet resources allow students to continue working at home. I have taken to creating a forum in which students and I can post and comment about the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows, talk about sports teams, or post fun videos. Again, this is the praxis of classroom work: Students using the classroom learned processes in a manner that suits their interests and goals as people, rather than simply as students.
This communicative process changes the classroom in a way that I believe is best described in theatrical terms - learning changes from a monologue to a dialogue. When in dialogue, students will achieve praxis because they are focused on practical use of language, while underpinning that with the clarity of necessary grammatical rules. How does a person tell their story in the clearest way possible? If a speaker follows the accepted current conventions, they will achieve clarity.
With this communicative and praxis based approach to EFL teaching, I have experienced that students are not only able impart knowledge of grammar and communication, but become more open, sensitive, and thoughtful communicators and storytellers. Students leave my classes as stronger people, not simply better grammarians. By allowing students to connect a new language with their own thoughts, dreams, and ideas, they are able utilize the language as a tool to achieve goals, not treat the language as the goal in itself.
Zach Hartley